CHAPTER XX
IN THE MEANTIME
Nan and Billy Sutton were the only persons at Weston who knew that Helenand Dr. Wright had left the house, and they, according to instructions,had kept mum.
"I hate for Helen to miss one teensy bit of the ball," Nan said. "Shedoes so adore dancing."
"I should think she would. Anybody who can dance like that ought to likeit. I think she is a ripper to go to those old grouches."
"Now, Billy, that is no way to talk! Those old ladies are really lovely.You would have gone to them in a minute."
"Well, maybe! But I wouldn't have enjoyed leaving this to go."
"Perhaps they will be able to come back. Miss Louise is an awfulalarmist."
Supper was served, the waiters from Richmond taking affairs into theirown hands, so that the untrained country servants at Weston were pushedinto the background.
"Miss Helen done said I's got quite a el'gant air in serving," grumbledChloe, when she was not allowed to bear in the trays of dainties to thehungry guests. "I reckon these here town niggers thinks they is the kingbees. I don't care what they says, I's gonter git a sicond hep ter myMiss Helen."
The girl filled a tray with salad, croquettes, sandwiches and what notand made her way into the parlors. She peered around for her youngmistress. The rooms were well filled with the country guests and manycouples were having their supper in the nooks made by the skilfuldecorators of clumps of palms and evergreens. Chloe peeped behind themall and not finding her Miss Helen she went to Douglas.
"Whar Miss Helen?"
"Why, I don't know, Chloe! What do you want?"
"I want my Miss Helen ter git her fill er victuals she ain't had termess in."
"I haven't seen her," laughed Douglas. "Ask Miss Nan."
"Miss Nan, whar Miss Helen?"
"Why, Chloe, she has gone away but may be back later."
"Whar she gone?"
"She told me not to tell, because she doesn't want to disturb theothers, but she has gone with Dr. Wright to see Miss Ella Grant, who isill."
"Miss Ellanlouise is here to the ball, ain't they?"
"No, they didn't come."
"Miss Helen ain't gone ter Grantly, is she?"
"Of course!"
Then poor Chloe dropped her tray, laden with goodies for her belovedmistress, and a mixture of salad and croquettes and sandwiches rolledover the floor.
"My Gawd! My Gawd!" shrieked the girl. "Whar the count? Whar Mr. Carter?Whar that secondary?"
"What is it?" demanded the count sternly, as he stepped over thedebris.
"My Miss Helen done gone ter Grantly!"
"Is that so? Why did she leave?"
His calm tones quieted the girl a little.
"She done gone with Dr. Wright----"
"Miss Ella Grant is ill and Helen went with Dr. Wright to look afterher," put in Nan. "I don't know why Chloe is so excited."
By this time the guests were crowding around the corner where Nan andBilly had ensconced themselves for what they thought was to be a quietlittle supper.
"'Cited! I tell you, you'd better git a move on you, you count and yousecondary. The niggers is planning no good fur Grantly this night."
"What negroes?" asked the count.
"'Tain't no diffunce what niggers! You git out that little red devil ofa mobile an' you licksplit ter Grantly as fas' as you kin, an' you takemo'n one gun."
If everybody had not been wrought up to a high pitch of excitement, theywould have been amused to see this ignorant country black girl handingout orders to the Count de Lestis as though she were a duchess and he astable boy.
The count motioned to Herz and they turned and left the room.
"I get in on this!" cried Lewis Somerville.
"And I! And I!" from every male throat in the room.
Many of the farmers had pistols with them, deeming it more prudent to goarmed on midnight drives through the lonely districts. Mrs. Carterfainted when it was explained to her where her daughter had gone andwhat the danger was. For once in her life, however, her husband had nothought for her. He left her to the ministrations of the farmer's wifein the stiff green silk, and hastened out to climb on the running-boardof the count's little car, which was already under way.
In what seemed like a moment since the poor Chloe had dropped her tray,there was not a single white male left at Weston, except Bobby Carterand he was only left because Lucy held him, scratching and fighting togo to the rescue of his precious sister. Even the musicians fromRichmond had joined the posse. The negro waiters stepped gingerly aroundwith many superior airs, congratulating themselves that they were asthey were and not as the ignorant country blacks.
Chloe sat on the floor and rocked and moaned, refusing to be comforted.
"I done what she tol' me was right!" was her cryptic remark which noneunderstood.
"Why do we wait here?" asked Douglas, who was pale as death.
Mrs. Carter had been revived and was lying on a sofa.
"Why, indeed! Let's get in the hay wagon and go," said Nan.
"Who can drive it?"
"I!" cried the redoubtable Mrs. Sutton.
Almost all of the carriages and buggies had been requisitioned by themasculine element but the hay wagon remained and a few other vehicles.The horses were quickly unblanketed by the women with the help of thewaiters. Mrs. Carter and Douglas were the last to leave the house, asthe poor nervous lady was kept quiet until they were ready to start.
Just as they were going out the door Douglas heard a violent ringing ofthe telephone. Knowing the peculiarities of a country connection and itsway of ringing at every house, and also knowing that the long, violent,protracted ringing meant emergency of some sort, Douglas ran to answerit. She distinctly heard Helen's voice crying the alarm:
"_Grantly on fire and a great crowd of negro brutes in the yard!_"
"What is it, my dear?" feebly asked Mrs. Carter.
"Nothing at all!" said Douglas calmly. She felt that such a messagewould only upset her poor mother more, and it was best to keep it lockedwithin her own panting breast.
If any of the persons in that hay wagon should live to be a thousandyears old they could never forget that terrible ride over the rough,muddy roads on that twenty-second of February, 1917.
"Look, the moon is up!" whispered Lucy to Mag, both of them rememberingthe gay ride to the ball only a few hours before and how they hadremarked that it would be so jolly going back because the moon would beup.
"Something's on fire!" someone cried, and then the heavens were lit bythe burning straw stack. A straw stack can make more light in the skythan a Woolworth building if both should be set afire; but the strawburns out so quickly that it is little more than a flash in the pan.
Mrs. Sutton proved a famous Jehu. She managed her team quite as well asBilly. Nan sat up on the high seat by her, looking with admiration atthe strong, capable hands.
"Do you think they will be in time?" Nan whispered to her valiantcompanion.
"Sure they will, my dear! They are there by this time and I believe thatfire is nothing but a straw stack. Look, even now how it is dying down!Poor Miss Ella and Miss Louise! They seem to have the faculty of notgetting along with the darkies. They are as kind as can be to them whenthey are sick or in want, but they always have an overbearing mannerwith them when they are well. I wonder what that girl meant by sayingshe had done just as Helen had told her."
"I don't know. Helen has been so patient with Chloe and has really madea pretty good cook of her. She simply adores Helen. She comes to herwith all kinds of questions to answer and problems of life to solve. Doyou think these colored men would want to kill Helen just because theyare angry with the Misses Grant?"
"No, my dear, I don't think these colored men would want to killanybody. God grant they are not drunk! That is the only danger I amfearing. I am not afraid of any sober negro alive, but a drunken one isto be avoided like a rattlesnake."
"Well, Mrs. Sutton, I just feel somehow tha
t God and Dr. Wright aregoing to take care of Helen,--and Miss Ella and Miss Louise, too."
"I am sure of it, my dear. I am so sure of it that I am thanking God forhaving sent Dr. Wright and Helen to Grantly,--otherwise the poor,foolish old ladies might have been found there by the darkies when theyexpected the house to be empty, with everyone gone to the ball, and thenthere is no telling what would have happened." Mrs. Sutton shuddered asthough she were cold.
"I keep on thinking of Dr. Wright's face,--his keen blue eyes and hisjaw,--somehow, I believe that jaw will pull them out safely."